The Rap-Up: Iron Solomon on the Rise

The Rap-Up is a bi-weekly round-up of all things hip-hop. Check it out every other Wednesday.

Jay-Z puts daughter Blue on a song, Iron Solomon recruits legends and Knowledge Medina gives the Gunshine State a new look -- read on for the Rap-Up list.

Iron Solomon Ready To Unleash His “Monster”

He worked the battle circuit, earned the respect of industry heavyweights and released the impressive “Redrum Radio” mixtape in October. Now New York’s Iron Solomon is prepping for the release of his debut album, “Monster.” Due for a March 27 release, the set boasts such guests as Run-DMC’s DMC, Talib Kweli, Paul Wall, Jean Grae and Novel.

Produced by Solomon and his in-house cadre of beatsmiths, the collection will feature a wide range of subject matter, from the challenges inherent in following your dreams to the stress family members put on each other. With an impressive resume and roster of A-List endorsers, it’ll be interesting to hear the ferocity of Iron Solomon’s “Monster.”

Jay-Z Gets Daughter Blue In On The Family Business

It didn’t take long for Jay-Z to introduce his daughter Blue Ivy Carter to the family business. Less than a week after Jigga and Beyonce’s daughter arrived, Blue Ivy Carter is featured on the new Jay-Z song “Glory.” Using audio presumably of Blue in either the delivery or recovery rooms, the business mogul’s daughter is heard crying toward the end of the track.

On the rest of the track, Jay-Z beams that “my greatest creation is you” and discusses the pain of the couple’s prior miscarriage. It’ll be interesting to hear how and if Jay-Z’s lyrical approach changes on his subsequent material. Regardless, it is tremendous hearing such a high profile rapper literally sing the praises of fatherhood.

Knowledge Medina, REKS and Numonics Resurrect Rap

Thanks to the crime-filled rhymes of Poison Clan, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross and others, it’s no wonder that Florida earned a rap rep as the Gunshine State. Of course there’s also plenty of dance music from 2 Live Crew, Luke and Pitbull that highlights the party vibe of South Beach, but South Florida is getting a new sound with Knowledge Medina.

On his new soulful Numonics-produced single “DOA (Dead Or Alive)” , Knowledge Medina teams with REKS to do their part to resurrect real hip-hop, the entire culture of b-boying, DJing, graffiti and rap. “DOA” will be featured on Knowledge Medina and Numonics’ forthcoming “Never Enough” album, which is slated for a February 7 release. With songs such as “DOA” and the guitar-propelled “Can You Let Me Be,” South Florida may have a potent new sound and ethos.

For more from Soren Baker follow him on Twitter and check out his author page on Amazon.com.